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On work trip abroad. Colleague gone crazy

788 replies

Eastie77 · 08/05/2019 19:52

Just that really. I'm abroad for work, 2 days in a major European city with a client meeting tomorrow morning. I've travelled with a female colleague who, like me, has 2 young DC. When we found out about this trip she messaged me to say she was desperately looking forward to it as she needs a break from the DC and is run ragged juggling everything. I said I totally sympathised and she replied that we should use this trip as an opportunity to get rat arsed on the company's money. I just laughed.

Arrived at the airport this morning for our early flight to find she had already had downed 2 pints but was at least sober. She kicked up a fuss on the plane as there was no alcohol on sale - not massively but enough to embarrass me. Landed and she bought more alcohol and has generally been increasingly drunk, hyper and shrill since saying this is 'her time'. We arrived at the hotel at 3pm and were meant to go over our presentation for tomorrow but I've had zero input from her. I need her to contribute a bunch of slides and practice a demo of the technical solution we are meant to be presenting to the client but she is not playing ball and has just been propping up the bar. I'm stressed. It looks as if I will have to do her slides and I don't have enough knowledge so emailing colleagues back home. I don't want to speak to my manager about this. She is normally quite conscientiousSad

OP posts:
DarlingNikita · 09/05/2019 12:37

Sounds like she is in a world of shit when we get back.

Good!

Janus · 09/05/2019 12:38

SDT was in Lisbon last summer so just remembered! It’s a bloody lovely town, hope OP gets to see some tonight!

SinisterBumFacedCat · 09/05/2019 12:43

lightlypoached Grin

On work trip abroad. Colleague gone crazy

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Upzadaizy · 09/05/2019 12:46

Downcasteyes if it’s perfectly acceptable in academia to get completely rat arsed at conferences then that doesn’t reflect very well on academia

Rest assured, it's not. Doubt downcasteyes knows what s/he's talking about. People who behave like this are pitied, or sidelined.

It's usually crass men who do this in academia, though. Inadequates who are seeking to cover up their fear of being found out.

QuimReaper · 09/05/2019 12:47

But late now, but why didn't you work on your presentation in the four hour journey from Lisbon airport to your hotel (in Lisbon)?

Huh? Confused Where did you get that from?

Notmorewashing · 09/05/2019 12:47

How did it go

Whoopstheregomyinsides · 09/05/2019 12:49

How did it go??

Whoopstheregomyinsides · 09/05/2019 12:51

Oh - I appear to have missed several hours’ worth!

glenthebattleostrich · 09/05/2019 12:52

Hope the presentation went well OP.

mummyhaschangedhername · 09/05/2019 13:04

Good luck OP.

beachyhead · 09/05/2019 13:06

Please make her drink a whole bottle of wine over lunch and see if she's sick on the plane Smile
Oh and please don't tell her that her boss knows....

Bubblysqueak · 09/05/2019 13:07

Really hope it went well.
Its going to be an interesting flight home! Good luck.

mmgirish · 09/05/2019 13:11

You need to get separate seats in the plane OP!

Trentgirl · 09/05/2019 13:13

The OP has been around for a while. She might have changed a few of the details, like location, to avoid being identified.

Dyrne · 09/05/2019 13:13

How the hell have you managed to bring the drunk person’s DH into this, QuickQuestion2019 ? I would be fucked off if somehow I got the blame for DPs behaviour on a work trip I had no part of!

I hate parents who act appallingly with the excuse that they “rarely get the chance to let their hair down” - no, you’re a twat. Own it. If you’re martyring yourself at home then that’s your own issue, not an excuse to fuck up on a work trip.

WhiskersPete · 09/05/2019 13:24

Hope it went well OP

ohdearmymistake · 09/05/2019 13:27

They had time from arriving at the hotel at 3 pm till the presentation starting at 10 am to work on it, (minus eating and sleeping time) the problem was the colleague chose to use this time for drinking.

AlexaAmbidextra · 09/05/2019 13:46

Sounds like drunk colleagues DH isn't stepping up enough if she goes this mad when away from DC etc.

Ha ha. Not a man in sight but someone manages to find one to blame. That took some mental gymnastics. 🙄

Spudlet · 09/05/2019 14:26

Wasn't going to comment on this buuuuut.... capitalist minion Grin

Hope it's gone ok, op.

On work trip abroad. Colleague gone crazy
Acis · 09/05/2019 14:42

Yes, because I think "horror" is really an overreaction, and I think the prim, stick-up-the-arse professionalism and service of capital beyond all things that dominates this site is reaaaaaaally boring. Give me someone who is a hot mess brilliant creative any day to hang out with over a stuffy suit.

But this woman isn't being a hot mess brilliant creative, is she? She's just being a rather tedious drunken football fan. And at some point you have to realise that people in OP's position have a duty, not least to their own families, to do their jobs properly, whether they're doing a worthy creative job or serving dreaded capitalism - if only because otherwise they lose their jobs and the family loses out. The mere fact that someone chooses to do their job conscientiously doesn't make them a stuffy suit.

I have to say the use of the term "square" does rather suggest to me someone who's never managed to let the Swinging Sixties go.

northerngirl2012 · 09/05/2019 14:43

How did it go?

IamAporcupine · 09/05/2019 14:44

@Spudlet
Grin

AdoreTheBeach · 09/05/2019 14:49

Wondering how it went op. Hope you’re ok and perhaps on way back now.

PotolBabu · 09/05/2019 15:01

The ‘hot mess creative’ in our Department vanished during exam time last year. And with a small sick baby, still technically on maternity leave, I had to jump in and help my colleagues (she and I cover the same area) grade 400 scripts while going back and forth between the NICU. My colleagues to be fair said they would do it, but it isn’t fair on third year students whose careers depend on the marks they get. Where did she go? To do some brilliant first person interviews that I am sure will land her a hot shot book contract and a promotion while the rest of us ‘professional’ and ‘square’ sorts do our best. Although her ‘first person interviews’ turned out, if FB is to be believed to involve hanging out in various bars with expat aid workers...

Why should we have compassion for a drunkard who is also lazy? Are they going through a traumatic life event? Both the OP and the colleague have young kids. So I am assuming life is stressful for both. Let’s say she was drunk and ran over someone. Should we also be compassionate? Or boring square people who think she’s broken the law and deserves all the punishment she gets???

DonkeyHohtay · 09/05/2019 15:04

I have to say the use of the term "square" does rather suggest to me someone who's never managed to let the Swinging Sixties go.

And all the stuff about hot messes and capitalist minions is well worth of 21 year old politics student. God forbid that poster ever has to grow up, leave academia and get a job in the real world.

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